Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-03-17
EARTHQUAKE Al NICE.
Graphic Description by an American Who
Reached New York Monday.
New York Hnrald March

Graphic Description by an American Who
Reached New York on Monday.
New York Herald, March8.
Two gentlemen direct from the great
earthquake at Nice arrived by the French
steamer La Gascoigne last evening. They
were Colonel G.. J. Tone and NJ Burke of
Rochester. Colonel Tone told how the
streets were filed with carriages and PEI
destrisns, pelting one another with flows
ers. All wore masks and costumes. The
most beautiful ladies threw costly flow
ers into the faces of persons they had
never seen. An ordinary Chicago clerk
travelling for his health could pelt the
face of a duchess with roses and her hus-
band would only smile. For days
the city was given over to gay
ETY.. Confetti - sort of candy -
followed the flowers in showers. It
was romantic riot day and night until
the last day of the carnival. Then came
the balls. Seventy thousand people
danced wildly all that night far into the
penltential morn of Ash Wednesday. The
night was filed with revelry. Balls were
held all over the city, but there were 3d.
900 people at the one great ball of the
night.
81 went to that ball, and it was very
late when l reached home," said Colonel
Tone. 81 was quartered on the third
floor OF the Grand Hotel. Though it was
nearly daylight 1 could not sleep, and SO
lay in bed reading book. Suddenly and
without warning a rOar more terrible
than tornado came. A thousand mines
seemed exploding under the floor, and
a thousand trains of cars seemed rolling
over the roof. The noise was indescriba-
BILE. 1t seemed as if the world were be-
ing ground to pieces aud the city with it,
The first shock threw me into the middle
of the floor, which tipped DIP like the roof
of q house. l tried to walk, but was
pitched headlOng across the room. The bed
rolled from side to side and went after it,
l was shaken as a strong man shakes a
boy. As soon as l could master myself l
managed by great effort to reach the
door leading into Mr.. Burke's room, ad.
joining. 1t was locked. l kicked and
pounded, but in that awful roar could
only just hear his voice. 1 shouted as
loud rs could, and yelled that it was am
earthquake-that we must fly to the
street. We burst open the double
doors, and in some way, l don't
know how, got down stairs while the
great walls, ten feet thick, were cracking
with artillery reports. The scenes in the
corridors and On the floors below US were
like a riot in q madhouse. Beautiful
women, with long hair streaming down
their backs, rushed wildly around,
beseeChipg the porters to save
them. One woman, who hBd been
the belle of many great ball, ep-
peared in a single garment with 8 bird |
cage and two csnaries. The birds were |
so frightened that they hung, backs down |
ward, from their cage with their eyes
closed. The lady reached the street, |
where some one gave her wrap for her |
shoulders; but she had no skirt. Having |
earthquakes in San Francisco, |
1 thought 1 was familiar with them,
but at Nice the horror was be- |
yend description. On the street |
the people lost their heads. Fifty !
dollars was offered for any kind of We
hicle. Hundreds of ladies in their night |
garments fell on their knees before great |
rough porters more frightened than them
selves. Money could not hire them TO go |
into the buildings for trunks. We dragged !
down our own luggage and saved every
hing. Twenty thousand people packed |
the public square.
"Tne second shock was more terrible |
than the first. To tell the truth, l could |
not remember whether it was two seconds 1
or two hours after the first shock. But 1t I
was fearful CONFUSION. Then the
panic became general. Think of it